Jon Meyer said Toastmasters has made a big difference in his life - from helping him develop the leadership skills he uses every day at work to giving him the confidence to speak to a large group of people.
Now, the Moscow resident is giving back to the international nonprofit organization by serving as the governor of its District 9, which includes more than 800 members in more than 60 clubs in northern Idaho, eastern Washington and northeastern Oregon.
Meyer, who had served in other regional Toastmasters leadership positions, said he was asked this past spring if he would be interested in taking on the district-wide governor position. He was formally elected in June, facing no opposition.
As district governor, Meyer is responsible for the regional organization's daily operations and budgeting process, and he oversees marketing and educational programs with the assistance of two lieutenant governors - a position he used to hold. He also helps local clubs grow membership and programs.
Meyer said he originally joined Toastmasters in 1985 because he wanted to enter a career quite different from where he ended up - he's now a firmware engineer and manager at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman.
"At that time, I was actually interested in going into politics," he said, "and I thought learning to get up and speak without putting people to sleep would be a good thing."
He ended up taking a hiatus from the organization, having to move frequently for work, but he returned several years ago when he joined the club based at SEL.
Meyer said he's involved in Toastmasters because he enjoys developing his leadership and communications skills.
"People tend to think about Toastmasters as people getting up and giving speeches," he said. "There's a lot more to it."
Toastmasters members learn about verbal communication, body language, leadership skills and listening skills, working through assignments and projects and receiving constructive feedback from other members.
For example, the first speech assignment for new members is the Ice Breaker, where they must speak about themselves for four to six minutes.
While members do deliver prepared speeches, as one might expect, they also participate in more informal group discussions.
"There's a tradition in Toastmasters that every member speaks at every meeting," Meyer said.
He said evaluation is a big part of the experience, and members learn both how to accept and deliver constructive feedback.
"It's not criticism," he said. "But everybody can improve, no matter how good you do."
Meyer said the local Toastmasters clubs - of which there are five - attract a fair number of university students, including international students who want to work on their English-language skills.
"We see real improvement," he said of those students' speaking and listening skills.
Meyer himself was born overseas - in Swindon, England - and as a baby moved to California with his family.
He and his wife of 18 years, Christine, have two children, ages 10 and 13. The family moved to Moscow about 10 years ago, and he said they plan to remain here for the foreseeable future.
In addition to his involvement with Toastmasters, he said he's "more or less active" with disability issues, and formerly served as chairman of Idaho's Special Education Advisory Panel.
Now, as Toastmasters' District 9 governor, he'll travel next week to Cincinnati, Ohio, to represent the district at the 2013 Toastmasters International Convention.
He encouraged Palouse-area residents to simply show up and attend a Toastmasters meeting if they're interested. The international organization charges $36 for membership every six months, and local clubs can have additional small fees, but visitors are welcome to sit in free of charge.
Meyer said he enjoys seeing new members develop their skills, and as a governor, he likes helping them along during that process.
"If you have a vision and are able to communicate that to other people and lead them, that really multiplies you in how effective you can be in your life," he said. "Toastmasters gives people the skills to communicate that vision and lead."
On the web:
- Palouse-area Toastmasters clubs: http://goo.gl/UL63rL
- Toastmasters International: www.toastmasters.org
Holly Bowen can be reached at (208) 883-4639, or by email to hbowen@dnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @DailyNewsHolly.
